Fourth to hans peterson



(No Model.)

J. W. KIRBY.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 460,917. Patented 0013.6, 1891.

WITNESSES: INVENTOH:

fi. Q. 7t% 1 By M ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEREMIAH XV. KIRBY, OF GREAT FALLS, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO HANS PETERSON, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,917, dated October 6, 1891.

Application filed May 18, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH W. KIRBY, of Great Falls, in the county of Cascade and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to carcouplers, and more particularly to that class thereof known as hook-and-catch couplers; and it has for its object to provide a coupler of this description that shall be simple and durable in construction and easy and efficient in operation.

.lVith these objects in view my invention consists in the peculiar construction of the various elements and their novel combination or arrangement, all of which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved coupling. Fig.2 is a top plan view; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the end of a car, to which my improved coupler is attached, said coupler consisting of the draw-head B and draw-bar B, the said bar being of the usual or any approved pattern, and is secured to the end of the carin the usual or any approved manner. The draw-head Bis formed with a horizontal cavity 1) at its forward end, said cavity being intended to receive a link Z, and passing vertically through the draw-head is an aperture 1), adapted to receive a coupling-pin 17.

111 the upper face of the draw-head are produced two longitudinal recesses C and D, said recesses opening outward at the forward end of the head, the coupling-pin working through the partition c, separating the recesses.

A transverse bore E is made in the drawhead atthe rear of the recesses, the forward portion of the bore communicating with the rear ends of the recesses.

A coupling-hook F is pivoted in the recess 0, near the rear end of the same, and in the transverse bore E is arranged a rock-shaft G, said shaft havinga forwardly-projecting arm H secured thereto and resting in the recess 0 beneath the coupling-hook F, said arm being provided with hand-grips a.

Serial No. 393,231. (No model.)

adapted to lift the hook when the rock-shaft is turned rearward. An arm K is also secured to the rock-shaft, and rests within the recess 1), anda short distance forward of said arm, and preferably to the rear of the coupling-pin, is arranged a transverse catch-bar L,upon whichthe hook of the opposite coupler catches and holds, and at the same time the catch-barL is engaged by the hooked link of an opposite coupler. The hooked link F engages the catch-bar of the opposite coupler, the positions of the recesses O and D being, of course, reversed in opposing couplers. The coupling-hooks have beveled heads, whereby the cars can be automatically coupled when brought together, and in order to uncouple the same the rock-shaft is turned rearward, elevating the forwardlyprojecting arms, which raise the rear end of its hooked link and the head of the opposite hooked link. One end of the rock-shaft extends some dis tance outward, whereby the operator is enabled to uncouple the cars without going between the same, and the opposite end is locked by a key to prevent any lateral movement of said shaft.

The recess D is somewhat wider than the recess C, audit is also made flaring at its front and rear ends to allow the hooked link to play in the same while rounding curves, the.

The outer end of the rock-shaft may be provided with a hand wheel or lever when applied to flat-cars; but when applied to boxcars a crank'arm M is attached to the rear side of said shaft, and connected with said crank-arm is the vertical operating-rod N, said rod extending to the top of the car, and intermediate the top and bottom of the caris The lower end of the rod is provided with an aperture or slot n, in which the rear end of the'crankarm rests.

The end of the operating-rod is apertured or slotted to allow the draw-head to play back and forth without disturbing the said vertical rod N and crank-arm M.

B y means of the cavity 1), vertical aperture, and pin 19, my improved coupler is capable of being coupled with the ordinary link-and-pin coupler.

Having thus described myinvention, whatI claim as new is 1. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head having longitudinal recesses in its upper face and a longitudinal partition separating the said recesses, of the transverse rock-shaft, the lifting-arms attached to the rock-shaft and resting in the longitudinal recesses, the coupling-hook pivoted at the rear end of one of the recesses, and the transverse catch-bar arranged in the other recess intermediate its ends, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head having longitudinal recesses in its upper face, one of said recesses being Wider than the other and flaring at its front and rear end, of the transverse catch-bar arranged in the wider recess, the hooked link pivoted in the narrow recess, and the transverse rock-shaft and lifting arms attached thereto, all arranged substantially as shown and described.

JEREMIAH XV. KIRBY.

Witnesses:

ULY SSES G. WHITE, RUDOLPH HERTZBERG. 

